Archive for the ‘New Tech’ Category

Figure 1: The PCEye from Tobii Assistive Technology Inc. is portable and lightweight and is capable of docking beneath any standard retail PC monitor and integrating with Windows.

By Geoffrey W. Goodfellow, O.D., and Dominick M. Maino, O.D.

For countless individuals who lack the motor control needed to operate a computer with a traditional keyboard and mouse, there are some new technologies available that allow the eyes to act as the controller.

AOA member Stephanie Lyons, O.D., and her husband and office manager, John, knew immediately when they created their own private practice it had to offer both warm and compassionate care, as well as the latest integrated technology.

Even though Dr. Lyons is a fairly recent graduate of the Illinois College of Optometry and her husband’s undergraduate degree in business was yet to be put to substantial use, there was no question that creating an exciting, patient-friendly, and high-tech office was their overriding goal.

In a previous column we discussed their use of iPads in the delivery of eye care (see EyeTech: Chicago practice puts the eye in iPad. AOA News. June 16, 2012) and hinted that future articles would take a look at how Lyons Family Eye Care integrates technology within their office. Read the rest of this entry ?

The color change of the contact lens in response to the patient’s blood glucose levels provides for a non-invasive measurement.

By Geoffrey W. Goodfellow, O.D., and Dominick M. Maino, O.D.

Patients with diabetes often must check their blood glucose levels using a drop of blood from a finger stick. Fortunately, most patients adapt to this diagnostic test and report that, although unpleasant, the repeated finger sticks are not terribly painful.

However, researchers at the University of Akron in Ohio are developing contact lenses that may make those finger sticks a thing of the past. Read the rest of this entry ?

Are refracting opticians the only potential threat to the delivery of optometric refractive care? Probably not. New technology like the NETRA device may also become significant in how refractive care is delivered to our patients.

I (Dr. Maino) met Vitor Pamplona at an American Academy of Optometry meeting where his poster was just down the way from mine. We chatted a bit, and then I tried a self-refraction using the NETRA device connected to a cell phone. Did it work for me? I’ll discuss that a bit later. Read the rest of this entry ?

A patient portal is a digital interface that allows a patient to interact specifically with his/her health care information.

By Geoffrey G. Goodfellow, O.D., and Dominick M. Maino, O.D.

An important component of an effective electronic health record (EHR) system is a patient portal. A portal is a Web interface to related sets of data, content, or Web services. Google is one of the most well-known portals that aggregates information into one place.

What is a patient portal?

A patient portal is a digital interface that allows a patient to interact specifically with his/her health care information. Read the rest of this entry ?

The use of a lion in an office might be too scary for most patients. But Lyons Family Eye Care, an urban optometric family practice in Chicago, not only combines a welcoming lion in its logo, but also makes the use of technology within its office less scary for all patients and the members of its eye care team. Read the rest of this entry ?

It wasn’t looking very good. According to posters presented at a recent American Academy of Optometry meeting, most of the smartphone apps really did not do what they said they did. These apps seldom met the criteria expected by the researchers. But don’t dismay, if the color vision, visual field and visual acuity apps do not meet the necessary levels for appropriate examination criteria, there are other apps that are still very useful. Read the rest of this entry ?

U.S. Senate Leader Introduces AOA-Backed NHSC Optometric Inclusion Bill With backing from the AOA and the Arkansas Optometric Association, United States Senator Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) yesterday introduced into the U.S. Senate the National Health Service Corps Improvement Act – an … Continue reading →